Initiate To Padawan
Just like our everyday lives, there are stages and there are trials. Being a Jedi was no different. Being called a Knight was a name earned with blood, sweat, and tears. It would take a Jedi over 20 years to become a Knight, and even longer to achieve the rank of Master. Let's take a look at what moving up the ranks meant for a Jedi.
Initiate: This is the first stage in a Jedi's life. Younglings were brought to the temple at very young ages, usually by age 3. This was so they wouldn't form attachments to their families and would be solely dedicated to the Order. A youngling would then be placed in a clan. This was a youngling's family and class until they were ready to take the trials to be padawans. Clans were groups of students who thought and learned alike. Different clans had different strengths and weaknesses. (I'm Katarn, if you were curious. This clan often produced Sentinels, specifically Shadows). Over time more clans were added to accommodate more students. We know from The Jedi Path that Ahsoka was from Clawmouse clan.
During this period is when initiates would be taught the 3 pillars of the order. The pillars are meant to intertwine with the force being first and foremost. Initiates would be taught basic force abilities and how to perceive the world around them with the force. Knowledge was vital to the Jedi cause. Before mission, Jedi would often spend days in the temple library collecting knowledge about the world and people they would be interacting with. The third pillar is self-discipline. This is the hardest pillar to master, as younglings often have issues with patience. If there was no self-discipline, then an initiate's progress could be halted.
The most enjoyable part of being an initiate would be the introduction of the lightsaber. Younglings would learn with practice blades that would sting but not puncture. At the end of a youngling's initiate period would be the trials.
To pass the trials you must: 1) Know and understand the Jedi code 2) Show self-discipline with lightsaber sparring and meditation 3) Prove that the force flows from you and you don't stand in its way. During the trials, many Knights and Masters will be present. They will watch and see if a particular initiate catches their eye. Remember when Ahsoka was assigned to Anakin? That didn't happen often. Usually a Master picked his or her student. If an initiate was not picked then they were left with a couple of options: 1) Go home 2) Become a member of the Jedi service Corps.
The Corps was a large group of people, several force-sensitive, who took on research and service sides of the Order. They would study the genetics of plants to get them to grow in harsh climates, bring aid to suffering populations, and study uncharted space for new life forms. Although they did not hold the ranks of the Jedi, they were considered part of the Order.
Padawan: This stage was the hardest. An initiate became a Padawan somewhere between 12-14 years. A Padawan would be expected to keep up with their master and learn in the process.
To show the rank of Padawan, a braid, beads, or even tattoos could be worn depending on the species. Humans usually had braided hair with the rest cut short. Species without hair would have beads or even adorned horn. Sluissis had a backward slanting head and no horn, and so developed a facial tattoo to signify their status. During this period is when a young jedi would get to design and build their own lightsaber. A Padawan would go to Ilum for their vision quest to find the crystal for their lightsaber.
A Padawan would also study the 7 different combat forms at this stage. From the 7, a favorite would be cultivated and practiced until the movement was second nature. Knowing how to defend against all 7 was also important, as a Padawan never knew who they might cross blades with. A deeper understand of force abilities was a constant, as a master would be teaching at all times. One of the most important things a Padawan would be learning is what life is like outside the temple. Being brought somewhere when you are 3 and not really leaving can create a large knowledge gap. With a master, a Padawan would travel the galaxy and learn minute by minute what life was like for those who are not Jedi. When a master decided there was nothing more his student could learn from him, the Padawan was nominated for the Jedi Knighthood trials. There were 5 challenges a Padawan must pass. 1) Trial of Skill 2) Trial of Courage 3) Trial of Spirit 4) Trial of Flesh 5) Trial of Insight.
Not all trials would be conducted in the temple in a controlled environment. Actions taken in the field could count as a Padawan's trial. Anakin did not have to pass a trial of skill or courage. His duel with Dooku at the end of Attack of the Clones was considered his trial. In fact, I believe the only trial Anakin had to take was Trial of Spirit (ironic, right?). After passing the trials, Padawan's were Knighted and considered full-fledged members of the Order.
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